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As the leaves begin to fall from the trees there are a few flowers to discover. Berries and acorns are ripening, decorating the countryside and providing food for wildlife. Many plants will only just be emerging as the rain will usually have encouraged the germination of many seeds by now, giving a lushness to the pastures and roadsides that had been dry during the summer. This is part of an ongoing project to create a complete flowering calendar for the sierra.
YELLOW
LEFT: Common Sternbergia RIGHT: Autumn Buttercup
Common Sternbergia (Sternbergia lutea)
The bright yellow flowers of this bulbous plant may form a group or be in singles. Initially it looks like a crocus but it has six stamens whereas a crocus has three. The upright flowers are around 40 to 50cm long and the leaves which are just emerging develop as the flowers fade. The leaves will be dark green and strap like with a pale central stripe. They can be found in dry scrubland, grassy and rocky slopes in hills and low mountains around September and October. Spain, eastwards to Turkey (not France) N. West Africa
Autumn Buttercup (Ranunculus bullatus)
This perennial can cover hillsides with its shiny yellow flowers. The bright green, glossy leaves form flat rosettes and the 20cm tall flowering stems hold solitary blooms. They can be seen in rocky and stony habitats, including olive groves, from October to March. Found in the Southern Mediterranean regions and Portugal. It is poisonous to livestock and therefore can spread over large areas unchecked.
WHITE / PINK
 LEFT: Common Smilax RIGHT: Lesser Calamint
Common Smilax (Smilax aspera)
This scrambling evergreen climber can reach 15metres in height by using its tough, hook like, thorns to hang onto surrounding vegetation as well as tendrils. The deep green, heart shaped leaves can be edged with further spines. In its favour are the small, delicate flowers that hang in clusters emitting a strong fragrance.(They can also be pale pink in colour). The fruit is a berry which is black when ripe and these hang in bunches. Found in scrub areas and hedgerows, flowering from August to November. Widespread distribution.
Lesser Calamint (Calamintha nepeta)
This is a medium to tall perennial plant with erect, branched stems. The flowers are small tubes set in whorls, they are pale pink or white with a few darker spots. The small oval, greyish leaves are strongly aromatic. They occur in dry habitats such as hedgerows, fallow fields and rough grassland, primarily in the mountains. This widespread plant can flower from June to November.
 LEFT:Southern Colchicum RIGHT: Vervain
Southern Colchicum (Colchicum lusitanicum)
This cormous perennial has no leaves at flowering time, they appear later. The flowers which stand just above soil level (often on a weak white stem) are pale to mid pink and crocus like, with a faint chequered pattern on the outside. Their favoured habitat is in dry open fields and limestone rocky areas. They can be seen in flower from September to early November. Found in Iberia, Balearic Islands, Central Italy.
Vervain (Verbena officinalis)
Tiny pale pink flowers are clustered at the tips of tall branched stems which although slender, are strong and upright. This very wispy looking plant has many stems that emerge from the same base which is covered in small dark green, deeply lobed, diamond shaped leaves. It can reach a height of over a meter. It is found on rough grassland, stream sides and rocky ground, flowering from May to October and of widespread distribution.
PURPLE / BLUE
LEFT: Autumn Mandrake RIGHT: Rosemary
Autumn Mandrake (Mandragora autumnalis)
Initially a dark green rosette of large lush leaves may catch your eye as sometimes the flowers are tucked low into the plant. On other occasions the attractive, pale, bell like flowers stand above the leaves in a showy display. This perennial plant often occurs on cultivated clay soils and fallow land as well as stony waste places and olive groves. The fruit is a bright orange or yellow egg shaped berry ripening in the following year. This plant has been noted to have a root of a similar shape to a man, giving rise to tales of witchcraft and folklore. Their flowering period is from September to December. Widespread distribution.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
An evergreen shrub of culinary use. It may reach 2m in height with erect woody stems bearing slim, pointed, aromatic leaves with a white underside. The flowers, which appear in clusters near the branch tips, are small and blue, although can occasionally be white or pink. They can occur in dry scrubland, open woodland and fixed dunes. Iberian Peninsular eastwards, widely cultivated for its essential oil, culinary use and ornament, including various colours and lax forms.
GREEN / BROWN
 LEFT: Common Ivy RIGHT: Friar's Cowl
Common Ivy (Hedera helix)
This versatile evergreen climber is capable of clinging to cliffs and covering large areas, creating a refuge for wildlife, as well as smothering trees in a lush riverside environment. It clings on with aerial roots and can climb to around 30metres. The tiny greenish yellow flowers are scented and attract many insects. They are followed by clusters of black berries which are eaten by birds. It is widely distributed through most of Europe.
Friar’s Cowl (Arisarum simorrhinum)
This is a short perennial whose flowers are easily hidden amongst its leaves and grasses. The unusual flowers are chocolate brown and white with a curved or hooded top covering a spadix that ends in a thickened, rounded end just at the lip. The leaves are oval to heart shaped, lying close to the ground. They can be found in rocky habitats, scrub and grassland, flowering from October to May.
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